No Secrets Beyond the Wall
by Kristachan22
Summary: An intruder has entered Fort Briggs and becomes an unexpected guest. The lines are drawn in the snow, will it be friend or foe?
1. Chapter 1 - Caged Dove

Allo there! I've been juggling this idea around for an FMA fanfiction for a very long time now and FINALLY got around to it. I sat my butt down, worked on it and here's the first chapter. I have written a bit of fanfiction before but never published anything so I hope whoever reads it enjoys and I will post the next chapter sometime next week. Happy reading ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Caged Dove**

Olivia Armstrong had to give this kid credit, she wasn't talking. She estimated her to be at least 15 years old based on her oval shaped face that still held the innocence of youth. But with a look in her eyes that was anything but. Nearly four hours had gone by and that blank, stubborn expression never once lifted from the stranger's face as Olivia stared her down. Not a word spoken, not a muscle moved in four hours.

Olivia smirked at her prisoner. With or without her cooperation, this young dove was trapped and under no circumstances was the Major General of Briggs letting her out. At least not without what she came for.

Information was such a crucial thing up here in the North. Without it would be like walking aimlessly out in the snow during a storm butt naked. So here Olivia sat, cross legged, lounging across from her prey behind bars just as she had done four hours ago. Her seat was much more comfortable than the cold stone slab that her opponent occupied, something that always helped in cracking her prisoners. And she had every intention of cracking this little girl like a soft-boiled egg. However, her being a teenager wasn't easy for Olivia. Such an awkward phase between childhood and adulthood that made the decision for the use of torture a difficult one.

But with the reminder of the events that had transpired earlier that day, she remembered that this one, young or not was not to be underestimated. She thought back to the commotion that this one little girl had made just outside her wall... and the destruction that had followed.

The morning had been uneventful for the Briggs' workers and just like always, Olivia was making her rounds after morning tea. Then suddenly, she was alerted that Drachma soldiers had been spotted nearing the base. She quickly headed to the top layer and peered out over the wall as she received report from the watchmen. Then, she saw for herself: six Drachma soldiers in the distance pursuing a seventh in the snowy forests to the North-West. The blowing winds shifted loose snow all around them during their chase. Olivia and the others prepared for the worst but the worst wasn't what they had expected. Looming shadows suddenly rose from the snow and from under the trees and began quickly wrapping themselves around five of the tiny figures.

Olivia snatched up a pair of binoculars and watched in shock as the same shadows slowly choked and sank the five men into the hard-packed snow. While the others were incapacitated, the one fleeing the hunting party grew closer and closer to the wall. The final soldier had evaded the strange shadows, pulled a crossbow from his back and took aim. Just as he was about to fire, a large tree suddenly split in half and fell toward him. The sound that echoed in the mountains was indescribable. And with that, the snow-capped hills fell silent. Olivia blinked hard, not sure what to think of what she just saw.

But where was the seventh? Suddenly, a small figure dressed head to toe in dark navy cloth sprang up from the side of the wall only a few feet to the right of where they stood. The individual froze while crouched next to one of the large firing canons and starred at Olivia and her men. This was Olivia's first glimpse into the deep amethystine eyes that she now currently stared at. The first question that had crossed her mind then was 'how in the _hell_ did this person scale the wall?' Fort Briggs was a massive structure that was both strong and straight lined, making it nearly impenetrable to enter uninvited. Yet this person did so within seconds. And without equipment.

But questions would have to wait, they had a little intruder to capture. After a moment of stunned silence, everyone moved effortlessly into action; the figure fleeing and the watchmen attempting to catch her.

And the girl _had_ been difficult to catch. Even with the amount of men posted on the wall, the clothed stranger merely danced passed them, dodging hands, bullets and automail. But going up against both the Major General of Fort Briggs and her fierce Captain, Buccaneer, proved to be the trick to clipping this bird's wings. With patience and persistence, they eventually had her cornered after she sustained a shallow injury to the left shoulder (thanks to a sly move from Buccaneer).

They placed her in a cell, Olivia had asked a few basic questions and was met with no answer. And hours later, Olivia had no name, no reason and no idea where this girl was from. It was quite a puzzle and Olivia was never one to back down from a challenge. So, she sat in front of those dark purple eyes and waited. As the minutes ticked by, Olivia took her time observing her. The girl (which was for the moment her full name until otherwise corrected) had soft brown hair and skin the colour of caramel. Her nose was straight and her bottom lip was only a tad fuller than the top. Her long lashes only made her look even younger as they framed her dark purple eyes. The lighting was poor enough in the cell that the purple appeared almost black but if Olivia looked close enough, she could almost see grey specks dappled around the irises.

As Olivia took her measure of her prisoner, she had the impression that her opponent was no doubt stubborn, cunning and of course, not letting up. It was time to change tactics.

She was sent into the cell without receiving medical treatment for her shoulder, and it was beginning to show. There was a sheen of sweat on the girl's forehead now and her breathing had hiked up. She was keeping pressure on it and remained silent but anyone could tell that the injury was taking its toll. Time to go on the offensive.

"That must be painful." Olivia said with a small hint of condescension. "If you answer my questions, I will be more than happy to bring you to the infirmary. Unless you're a Drachma spy. Then it'll be my greatest pleasure to skewer you myself." She rested a hand on the hilt of her sword and waited.

No change. So, _bargaining_ wasn't going to work. Maybe she was just being too soft. Turning up the tension might prove more fruitful.

"You know," with a tilt of her head, she gestured nonchalantly towards her injury, "there will be more where that came from if you don't start talking soon. My patience is running rather thin." In the corner, as if on cue, Buccaneer cracked his knuckles menacingly. Olivia waited, ever watchful for the slightest spark of fear. But the girl only closed her eyes and stood up. Turning her back to the Major General and the others, she carefully slipped out one of her arms from her long sleeve shirt and exposed part of her bare back. A few quiet gasps sounded in the room as the officers present stared in shock. Olivia's expression remained steady. 'Well, torture was now out of the question' she thought glumly to herself. Someone had beaten them to it.

She quickly examined the layers of wounds that marked her skin before the girl shrugged her clothing back into place. She saw and noted quite a few fresh bruises scattered here and there, old scarring on her flank that may have once been a very nasty burn and a large healed slash that stretched diagonally across her spine from her right shoulder down with a much smaller slash just beneath the first.

The girl turned to face her and spoke for the first time since her capture, "Go right ahead." Her voice was low but steady and clear. As Olivia watched, the look in her prisoners' eyes had finally changed. They were still unrevealing and ever stubborn, but the determination that filled those odd eyes made them almost glow, as if challenging the Major General to do her worst.

Eyebrows' slightly raised, Olivia breathed in slowly and then smiled in spite of herself. She was starting to like this girl. A thought crossed her mind just then and she called out to her attendant.

"Grab me a drink would you Louis?" The attendant nodded but Olivia motioned for him to stay where he was. She looked back at the girl and asked politely, "How do you like your tea?"

The young girl gave Olivia a cautious, uncertain look but to Olivia's surprise, replied in a rather timid way. "Black."

Olivia's smile grew, "I thought as much."


	2. Chapter 2 - Interrogation Over Tea

Here's the next chapter :) I had a lot of fun writing this part! Feels nice to finally be able to write for the fun of it and not because I have a paper due haha.

Happy New Year and happy reading! ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Interrogation Over Tea**

"Instead of getting her tea, don't you think we should get that shoulder looked at?" Neil said while putting out his third cigarette. He may have been sitting laid back in his chair but there was a worried twinge in his eyes. Everyone (besides the Major General of course) was beginning to feel on edge. The wound was shallow but she'd lost enough blood to have gone quite pale. They also had no idea how old the prisoner was. The fact that she could still be considered a kid and they were intentionally withholding medical attention from her sure as hell felt like an ethical conflict.

Neil had heard about this morning's incident and came from the lab to watch the interrogation. He was curious to see what they had caught this time but he hadn't expected to see a cute girl covered in blood behind those cold iron bars. She looked so small, fragile. Not menacing at all like the report had been. But the eyes. Those purple eyes were incredibly unnerving, yet Neil couldn't bring himself to look away from them.

Major General Armstrong looked over her shoulder, put on a sweet smile that sent a chill down his spine and said simply, "We will. Once she's answered my questions." There was a bite to her words that made it clear to everyone that she'd sooner let this girl bleed out then let her leave empty handed.

And so, the interrogation continued. Louis, the attendant who was fetching the tea came back within minutes and brought with him a small stand. He set everything up, poured them each a cup and was dismissed. They all watched as the Major General stood up and handed the girl her tea. He could see a few of the men tense up, waiting for any signs of aggression from the prisoner. Neil guessed they were the ones who had fought her this morning. But the girl humbly accepted the drink and sat back down.

Everyone settled once the Major General resumed her seat and began her questioning again.

"What is your name?" She asked curtly after taking an appreciative sip of her tea. The girl looked up and her eyes widened slightly but she remained silent. She stared down at her knees while the everyone waited patiently for an answer. It seemed as if she was contemplating whether to reply or not but their Major General wasn't about to ease up.

"I asked you a question." She said sternly. The girl eventually met her expectant gaze and said with a small shake of her head.

"Please ask another."

The Major General paused, he watched the frustration wash over her. Surprisingly, she let that one slide. It wasn't unreasonable. The prisoner was only refusing to answer one question, not all of them completely. Neil lit his fourth cigarette and settled in for what he assumed would be quite an interesting interrogation.

* * *

"How old are you?"

"20."

Olivia raised her eyebrows in disbelief. She'd miscalculated the girl's age by 5 to 6 years? She just looked so young. Regardless, she continued with her questions, not letting it trip her up.

"Where are you from? Are you with the Drachma's?"

"I'm from the West. And if by 'Drachma' you mean the ones who were chasing me, no I am not with them by any means."

Obviously, considering she had apparently killed six of them earlier.

"What happened? Why were they chasing you?"

"I was traveling North through the mountains when these men ambushed me. I woke up somewhere I didn't recognize. It was cold...and dark. They spoke a different language and I had no idea what they wanted. I escaped, though… it didn't take them long to track me."

"Those injuries, did they do that to you?"

A sudden hard, guarded look appeared in the prisoner's eyes and her jaw tensed.

"Yes... and no." She said simply. Olivia considered this for a moment. She took another drink from her tea, letting the bitter flavor and heat wash over her tongue. Something had happened to this girl and her reluctance to speak of it made her curious. But trust had to be earned. That much was obvious.

"Those shadows... the ones that took out those men. Was that you?"

This was by far the most important question Olivia had wanted to ask her. Ever since seeing first hand those merciless curling shadows in action, she wanted to access this kid's threat level.

Silence. The girl hadn't looked away this time and what Olivia saw in her face was answer enough. There was a hint of sadness and remorse. Did she not mean to kill them? Was it an accident? They had kidnapped her and done God knows what else, yet she appeared to regret taking their lives.

"Yes."

"What kind of Alchemy was it?"

The girl looked confused by her question, which was a surprise. Alchemy was the only reasonable explanation. Right?

"It's... no. At least, I don't think it is." She stared at the floor without really seeing it, unconsciously taking a drink. The tea was helping to bring some colour back in her cheeks. Olivia breathed deeply. Okay, so what she had seen hadn't been alchemy. So, what was it?

"Were you controlling it?"

"I can. But sometimes it can... act on its own."

"On its own..." Olivia repeated thoughtfully. The others around her shifted uncomfortably. They didn't seem to like the sound of that.

"So, you _can_ control it." A small, curt nod.

"But sometimes you can't, like when they were chasing you?" Another nod.

"Will it be a problem while you are here?" Olivia asked, a sudden fierce look in her eyes. The girl shook her head almost too quickly, making Olivia smile.

They lapsed into another silence. Even after so many hours of staring into them, her eyes were still unsettling to look at. An unnaturally dark purple hue that sometimes seemed to glow during high emotion. Something so strange that Olivia assumed she hadn't been the first to gaze into them with apprehension. She thought of Miles and his piercing red eyes. Red eyes that had others double take and then look away fearfully.

Speaking of Miles...

"Louis?" She called out.

"Yes sir?"

"I would like a word with Major Miles."

"Yes sir, but..."

"But?"

"I, uh... just got word that he's in the infirmary."

She raised an eyebrow. Major Miles? In the infirmary? Before she could ask the attendant for an explanation, Buccaneer seemed all too eager to chime in.

"Apparently... he and some of the other men had a nasty battle with some rogue _icicles_ this morning." He said, his lips curling slightly.

"Hmm." She smiled at Buccaneer's obvious mockery. He was enjoying this. But Miles... It wasn't like him to be careless and get injured so easily.

Injured or not, she had an idea and since they were heading that way anyway... She sighed halfheartedly and rose from her seat. "Well then, we'll just have to go pay him a visit."

The end of her sheathed rapier made a small thud on the ground as she placed it in front of her, palms on the hilt. She then addressed her captive with a tone of authority the other soldiers knew well. "Since you don't seem to be our enemy, and have even taken out a few enemies of our own, I have decided to trust you. However, in return I expect your full cooperation in every aspect during your stay here. You will follow any and every order given to you. Do I make myself clear?" The girl straightened slightly and nodded obediently.

Olivia frowned and added, "I can tell you aren't telling me the whole story so don't think for a second that I will forget that. Here at Briggs, there are no secrets. Therefor I expect that you will show me the same courtesy as I have shown you today, and will come to trust in me." Her face softened for a moment, letting her see that she meant every word. Even if they were missing a few crucial details about her, she had asked for the truth and her prisoner had delivered. She had wanted answers, her prisoner had again delivered. All it had taken was a break in the ice and a show of respect. Which Olivia Mira Armstrong could most certainly appreciate. The young woman gazed up at her from her seat and for the first time, she smiled. A small, cautious smile but it was a start.

'Now, we're getting somewhere' Olivia thought to herself with satisfaction.

"Captain Buccaneer. Let her out of that cell. We'll be escorting..." she looked at the girl questioningly. She only hesitated for a moment this time before replying,

"Senna."

"-to the infirmary." Olivia nodded.

Yes, they were definitely getting somewhere.


	3. Chapter 3 - Miles' Misfortune

Next chapter! Hoping to post at least once a week, so please look forward to it!

Happy reading!

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Miles' Misfortune**

Major Miles couldn't believe that he had gotten himself sent to the infirmary. And by getting grazed by a falling icicle no less. An _icicle_. He'd dodged bullets for Ishvala's sake! But an icicle? He shook his head shamefully, he was losing his touch. With his shoulder and upper chest throbbing, he sat up and wiped the sweat off his face. At times when the pain spiked, it would even extend all the way down his arm. He hoped the nurse would come by soon with more medication.

Suddenly, he could hear the distinct sound of several different footsteps drawing near. The nurse came in to check his bandages as he listened to the footsteps getting closer and closer...and then growing fainter as they passed. He sighed in relief. The nurse looked up at him confused but decided best not to ask.

Miles hoped that Major General Armstrong would not hear of his little accident until he'd cleaned himself up and wasn't looking so foolish. Unfortunately for him, it was Marge working as the charge nurse today and she wasn't about to let him leave until he was 'good and rested' as she had put it. An older woman who had shot him her usual stern look that said 'try to leave and I'll shoot you with your own gun.' And the last thing he wanted, besides having to stay there longer, was seeing Marge with a loaded weapon.

Before the nurse left he kindly asked her for a top up of pain pills. He then hunched over and pinched the bridge of his nose, a slight headache beginning to form in his temple. He looked around and found what he was looking for. A pitcher of water and a stainless-steel glass had been placed on the bedside table next to his tinted glasses. He poured himself a cup and downed it slowly. When he looked back and caught his reflection in the cup, two red eyes stared back at him. The eyes of the Ishvalan's. His eyes.

It was hard for many to believe that he was only a quarter Ishvalan. His family always told him that the blood of his people ran deep within his veins, bringing out his dark skin and bright red eyes. It didn't bother him much now. His past was what made him strong and he learned long ago that it did nothing to shy away from it.

He leaned back against the flat pillow and breathed through the stinging pain that radiated in his shoulder and across his chest. Closing his eyes helped tame the growing headache in his head. It wasn't long before the nurse came back with his medication.

When she left Miles slowly and reluctantly fell into a shallow sleep. Not long after, his eyes flew open again at the sound of approaching footsteps coming from down the hall. There were also voices that were growing louder, one sounding a little _too_ familiar.

He rubbed his eyes and straightened up, how long had he dozed off for? He waited, hoping it was anyone but her. Maybe it was just Sherley who was coming to visit Jake in the bed next to him? He'd had it worse than him. Poor fellow had sustained a concussion and a broken wrist. Something like that would put any of them off work for quite some time.

The voices were just outside the door to the infirmary. Behind the white curtains that were pulled around his bed, he signed heavily. Even from this distance, he knew it was her.

Of course it was. Why did he even bother hoping otherwise?

There was a parting in the curtains the size of a sliver where Miles had a good vantage point of the door. He kept an eye on it, watching the door knob turn. Major General Armstrong did indeed enter the infirmary as he had feared, however what he saw next surprised him. The Major General was being followed by a young girl who was covered in dark red blood. He noticed the silver hand cuffs around her wrists as Captain Buccaneer followed close behind. He only caught a glimpse of them before they walked to the nurse's desk, out of view. Miles settled for listening. He hadn't recognized her.

Apparently, the girl had a nasty cut on her shoulder that had the Major General ordering the nurses to tend to it immediately. The nurse had led them to another bed, he could hear the curtain being drawn slightly.

Maybe she hadn't noticed? Miles evened out his breathing and held very still, making sure not to draw any attention to where he lay. Maybe she didn't know?

He sat there, waiting for the inevitable.

* * *

A young nurse from behind the desk led them to an open bed and instructed them to wait while she fetched Marge. Olivia crossed her arms and watched as Senna sat on the bed and got settled. She was sitting up straight, taking in the white walls and clean equipment with constant alertness. But the pale greenish tinge on her oval face now had extended down her neck.

Senna suddenly closed her eyes and to Olivia it looked like she was trying very hard not to either scream out or throw up. Maybe she had waited a bit too long for getting her medical attention? Olivia tapped her foot anxiously, hoping Marge would hurry the hell up.

Just as she was about to leave to go hunt down Marge herself, the stout older nurse bustled in through a side door, clip board in hand. They watched through an open gap in the curtain as Marge walked briskly towards them. She fixed her bright blue glasses on the bridge of her nose and gave her orders to the young nurse from before. She then turned her stern face to pay attention to her new patient.

"Well, well. It's not often that you escort patients to my office yourself, _little_ _Olive_." She fixed her half mocking, half stern gaze on Major General Armstrong, making the latter bark out a laugh.

"This _is_ quite a unique situation." Was all she replied with a smile. The older nurse looked her patient up and down for a moment before taking out her pen.

"Name." She asked curtly to the young girl.

"Senna."

"Allergies?" She continued as she jotted down the information.

"None."

"Any other injuries I should know about?"

"No."

"Are you on any medication?"

"No."

"Reason for injury."

The edge of Senna's mouth lifted into a half smile as she replied almost bitterly. "The big guy out feinted me."

Buccaneer paused for a moment and then howled with laughter. Olivia couldn't help feeling proud of her captain. He really had played a good game of cat and mouse.

Her pride must have showed on her face because Marge was giving them both a disapproving look. She wrote a few more notes before glaring at the metal handcuffs on Senna's wrists. She turned to Olivia with a skeptical look, "And the cuffs?"

"A precautionary measure." She teased.

The older woman huffed loudly and got busy. "Fine. I'll work around 'em." Once Olivia was satisfied that things were covered here, she caught Senna's attention.

"Now, I don't want to see you giving the good nurses here any trouble, understood?" She said sternly to which Senna nodded weakly.

"Do as she says and without complaint." She ordered plainly and turned to go. It was Miles' turn now.

But before she and Buccaneer got passed the curtains, a soft voice called out to her.

"Major General Armstrong?"

She turned back slightly, peering at Senna through a lock of blond hair.

"...Thank you."

A heartbeat of silence passed between them and without a word Olivia left, a genuine smile on her face. It seemed that she had made more progress with the girl then she had anticipated.

Another nurse entered as they exited, her arms full of different types of bandages. One down, one to go. Buccaneer shadowed her steps as she walked slowly past the only two beds that were hidden by curtains. She stopped just passed them. Little did she know that her Major was trying very hard to remain unnoticed by them. She cleared her throat.

"I heard you had _quite_ the battle this morning, Major Miles." After a short pause, she heard a distinct sigh from the bed closest to her. The smile on Buccaneer's face now reached his ears, showing pearly white canines.

"I expect you to be more cautious during your morning rounds from now on, Major." Her voice came out harsh but the look on her face was anything but serious. Buccaneer's good mood was rubbing off on her.

"Yes sir." Miles said in a low, somewhat defeated voice. He knew she wasn't going to let him off easy. 'Good.'

"Now get dressed. You've had enough time sitting around here."

"Yes sir."

Olivia called out to the nurse at the desk again and demanded she bring Miles his clothes and discharge him. The nurse looked up from her paperwork. She seemed reluctant but didn't bother arguing with her as she prepared Miles for discharge. They were used to how Olivia did things around here. Everyone knew that the only ones with the power to discharge patients was Marge and the Major General herself. While Miles was changing, Marge had finished with Senna and approached Olivia with a strange look on her face.

"And?" Olivia asked, arms crossed.

"I left her with Caren. She's patchin' her up now. There's... something I want to discuss with you." It was obvious that Marge wanted to have this conversation privately. And from the look on her face, it wasn't to report good news.

"Very well. We'll discuss this in my office. Miles, you will come with us." She called out to him. The latter replied by opening the curtain and giving her a curt nod.

It didn't take long for their group to walk to the Major General's office. She opened the door, letting them inside. They each took a seat around the rectangular desk as Olivia took her place at the end of the table. They had caught up with Louis on the way and as they talked, he prepared them each a cup of tea.

"Well? What's the verdict?" Olivia demanded after they had filled Miles in on the events from this morning's incident.

Marge pursed her lips and stared down at her tea. "Currently? Signs of mild dehydration, multiple contusions, including a bruised kidney and a few bruised ribs and lastly a fresh shallow laceration to the left shoulder. Past injuries? Now that's a different story. Several areas that show evidence of burns, other lacerations, puncture wounds... Particularly on the back. The injuries all have varying degrees of scarring. Some I estimate date back maybe 5-6 years ago. From a clinical stand point-" Marge sighed heavily as she continued "There are obvious signs of abuse or torture, or both. Needless to say, she's been through hell."

Everyone in the room grew quiet for a moment.

Olivia nodded her head solemnly. It didn't make her feel any better that her suspicions had been confirmed. It only made the situation more intriguing.

"Did she tell you anything when you asked?"

"She beat me to it actually."

Olivia looked at her confused.

"Well, after I got an eye full of her injuries when we got her undressed, she told me she would answer any of my questions honestly _if_ in exchange I wouldn't ask about the scarring."

Miles and Buccaneer gave each other a knowing look. At Briggs, everyone had secrets, even the Major General herself had a skeleton or two stowed away somewhere. But the rule was: there were no secrets at Briggs. Olivia had sought to that from the very start. With everything out in the open, true trust and understanding between officers could be attained. This girl would not be an exception.

"Well, we'll find out what happened one way or another." Olivia said while taking another drink.

"I've seen a few things in my day but, I mean, who would do such a thing to a child?!" Marge exclaimed in disbelief.

"She's not a kid Margy, she's 20 years old." Buccaneer's deep voice rumbled.

"20 or 12! It makes no difference, damn it! No one should have to be subjected to such cruelty. No one!"

The other three looked away. Marge had not been involved in the Ishvalan war like they had. The things they had seen would have made her skin crawl. It all but made them unaffected by sites of torture, even towards the young.

Olivia had gotten up from her seat and turned to face away from them. "When people want something bad enough, they'll do anything to get it. Tear down a mountain, torture a young girl..."

Marge's ears and neck reddened, "Don't be so nonchalant about this. The girl was tortured for Pete's sake! How is that alright?" She barked back.

"It isn't Marge. But right and wrong are often things cruel people can't tell the difference from."

She inhaled deeply and got to the point she had been wanting to make since leaving the cells. She turned to face Miles, grinning mischievously.

"I have a special job for you, Major Miles."


	4. Chapter 4 - Biases and Boiling Points

BAM! Next one posted! :) Let me know your thoughts on it and if you have any suggestions/critics please feel free to write me. Also, for those who might not have heard of the manga series The Ancient Magus Bride, I highly recommend reading it. It's turning out to be an amazing series.

Happy reading!

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Biases and Boiling Points**

"I have a special job for you, Major Miles." Major General Armstrong said with a smile he knew all too well. 'Oh crap', he thought. Here came her punishment for his carelessness. He braced himself for the worst, seeing Captain Buccaneer smiling gleefully at him from across the table.

"Yes sir."

"I'd like you to look after our new guest."

"The girl?" He asked in surprise. He wasn't the only one. Buccaneer's expression went from shocked to disappointed within seconds. Miles had expected to be cleaning the barracks for the rest of the month, but babysitting? He couldn't decide which was worse. From what he knew, the girl was trouble.

"Yes. You will keep her under surveillance, keep her out of trouble, find out any information you can about her and report back to me what you find."

Miles stared back at her. He was a trained fighter and a respected officer of Fort Briggs and his mission was to follow this girl around everywhere and provide her a shoulder to cry on? This was going to be a _long_ punishment. His shoulder twinged in pain, as if agreeing with him.

"Problem Major Miles?" Buccaneer was back to mocking. Miles straightened up and told the Major General that she could count on him. And with that, the meeting was over. Marge had another patient to tend to and the Major General had her rounds to make. As for Miles, he was off to start his mission... babysitting their 'guest'.

When he arrived at the infirmary again, he waited patiently at the entrance. Anna, the nurse who had taken care of him gave him a kind smile before turning away. Everyone at Briggs knew he was Ishvalan yet even after time, there were always some who seemed uncomfortable under his gaze. It didn't matter how kind he was to them or how dark his tinted glasses were. It was a knee jerk reaction. One that he couldn't blame them for.

As he waited, he wondered how this young woman would react when he showed her his red eyes. After a few more minutes, the other nurse Caren opened the curtain and helped the young woman off of the bed. The girl was dressed in a simple Briggs officer uniform which the nurses must have retrieved from the Barracks. There was a pile of dark navy clothing left on the ground by the bed covered in what Miles could only assume was blood. She was instructing the girl when to come by for her dressing to be changed.

As they talked, Miles observed. Marge had been right to underestimate the young woman's age. She _did_ look young. But instinct told Miles otherwise. There was something mature about this girl. Her posture, the way she moved... But Miles did not let that sway him. If he knew anything, he knew that young adults were usually all cocky and arrogant.

He peered beyond his tinted glasses to prevent the dark tint from obscuring his observation. From this distance, he saw that she had light brown hair that went just below her shoulders, dark eyes and skin a few shades lighter than his own. Her height was below average and her build was slim, but even from a distance any trained eye could tell that she was built for stealth and speed. The black long sleeve she wore outlined the toned muscle underneath and her movements were sly and smooth like a northern lynx.

And then there was the matter of the unusual shadow alchemy that the Major General had described seeing. It wasn't impossible that such alchemy could exist but it wasn't something ever reported in their country before. Was she really an Amestrian? The only information they had was that she came from the West. Which either meant she was from the West region of Amestris or she was from Creta. The latter being a potential problem. Illegal immigrants were well... illegal.

Not to mention there was still the war going on between Creta and West City. Or could she be lying? Perhaps this strange ability of hers came from Xing, an area that possessed science and weaponry not well known to Amestrians.

As he pondered the implications of having an illegal immigrant within their midst, Caren signed Senna out and gestured towards Miles. The young girl walked slowly to where he stood and as she stared up at him, he put those troubling thoughts aside and finally got a good look at his guest's face. Her expression was cautious and speculating, as if she was sizing him up just as he had done to her moments ago. He wondered what her measure of him would be. It only took a few moments for Miles to resume his professional manner and address her properly.

"You are Senna?"

She nodded and opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted suddenly by Anna who called out to them from the other side of the desk.

"Major! Make sure this one gets something to eat and drink as soon as possible. Marge's orders. She's pretty pale and if she waits any longer, she might be back here quicker than you can say 'anemia'." Senna gave him a sheepish smile before looking down. He sighed and escorted her out quickly before the orderlies gave them any more orders.

"Come along."

They made their way to the cafeteria and as they walked, Miles wasted no time to state his terms.

"My name is Major Miles. I will be your escort throughout your stay here. You are not to go anywhere without being supervised by myself or a Briggs officer of my choosing. You will be given the standard quarters designated to our beginning private officers and will stay within your quarters until I come to fetch you. Any aggressive or strange behavior and I will return you to the cells, do I make myself clear?"

"If I agree to your conditions, will you take these off?" She raised her wrists and the clattering of chains echoed through the empty hall. Miles hesitated a bit longer than he should have. He couldn't help thinking of all the trouble it took for his comrades to capture her in the first place.

Senna seemed to sense his uncertainty because she countered quickly with "it'll be quite hard to eat a proper meal while cuffed. Can't imagine what that older nurse would say if we ended up back there because I passed out." Her tone was innocent but a mischievous spark shown in her eyes that made Miles sigh and grab for his keys. Damn.

"Nothing funny." He cautioned her coldly. He removed the cuffs and tensely watched her from the corner of his eye. They walked in silence and without incidence all the way to the cafeteria.

The large room full of tables and chairs was almost deserted. It was just before lunch break which Miles was very thankful for. Having to explain the situation to the few people on the way was complicated enough. Imagining himself having to do it again to a room full of curious individuals made him cringe internally.

They each got a tray of food and sat to eat but Miles wasn't particularly hungry. His wound was bothering him more than he anticipated. So, he settled for munching on some fruit while watching his 'guest' carefully.

She must have been hungry because it took less than 20 minutes for her to finish everything on the tray. She was starting to look much better now than when he'd first seen her in the infirmary. When she was done, he rose from his seat without a word and got rid of the scrapes.

She followed him out and he continued with a short tour of the main areas of the facility. Senna asked questions here and there but was met with rather short answers from a reluctant Miles. He wasn't too keen about providing details about the base to a possible enemy. After the tense tour, he took her to the barracks to have the desk clerk prepare a room for her.

"How long will I be staying here?" Senna asked cautiously. Peering down the barracks hallway with a little repulsion. She hadn't seen one window since they brought her in here.

Miles' jaw tensed as he ground his teeth together. He mistook her reaction and assumed it was because she thought the accommodations were not up to her standards. What Miles was not aware of was that Senna was used to sleeping under the sky and overhanging trees rather than cold stone walls.

"However long the Major General sees fit." He said, his matter-a-fact tone now laced with impatience.

"How long do your private officers stay here until they move somewhere else?" She asked politely, genuinely curious about how they operated. She hadn't told them that it was her first time being in an army base.

"Until it's needed." He said tersely. Senna fell silent.

Just before they reached the common room, an officer caught up with Miles and told him he was needed in the boiler room as soon as possible. He sighed heavily, turned around and quickened his pace. Senna had to jog along behind him to keep up.

When they reached the boiler room, one of the engineers came up to him looking rather unhappy about not receiving the proper parts on time from Central. He sighed again. 'Would this day never end?'

* * *

In the boiler room, the many engineers bustled around the huge pipes and machinery that clanked and whistled out constant streams of steam. The smell of oil and metal mingled in the humid air as loud sounds erupted randomly around them. The heat and noise was starting to get on Miles' nerves as he spent nearly half an hour trying to sort out the head engineer's dilemma.

Finally, things were settled and the man may not have been happy about the delay but at least the parts were on their way. Senna had spent the entire time watching in silence. She'd been so quiet that Miles had almost forgotten she was there.

"Come on." He mumbled. They had a long way ahead of them in order to get to the exit. The hallway they were traveling down was empty apart from them so Miles figured it was a good time for some questioning.

"I hear you refused to answer some of Marge's questions back there. Any particular reason why?"

"Do I need to explain my whole life to everyone here?" She asked politely but Miles could tell by her tense posture that she was on the defensive.

"If you want us to believe that you aren't a spy, yes."

"Aren't very subtle, are you? You clearly don't trust me."

"Why should I trust you?"

Her footsteps stopped behind him as she said "It isn't just that. It's obvious that you don't like me much either."

He looked back at her. She had stopped walking and by the challenging look on her face, she wasn't about to let this go.

"Because I haven't checked you off the suspect list yet."

She shook her head, hair sweeping briskly around her shoulders. "Wrong. That's not it. I've agreed to honor all of your terms. If you didn't have some kind of trust in me, you wouldn't have uncuffed me. There's another reason why, isn't there?" She demanded.

"You fled from my comrades when they attempted to apprehend you."

"Out of self-defense."

"You were trespassing."

"And yet I harmed no one." She countered again

"Tell that to the six Drachma soldiers from this morning."

Senna fell silent again. A hard look replaced the challenging one from before. Miles knew he'd gone too far but between the constant pain from his injury and the embarrassment of having to babysit, his patience seemed to evaporate away with the steam.

"And the fact that you refuse to answer crucial questions about yourself makes me more than a little suspicious. There are no secrets here at Briggs. One who withholds vital information is one who will have their allegiances questioned. Who knows where you came from, if you even come from the West at all. And your abilities... They're something we've never encountered before. And from my experience, the unknown can be dangerous. So, it isn't a surprise that I consider you a possible threat. And I will continue to think that until proven otherwise."

Another moment of silence passed between them as he waited for her rebuttal. The glare she sent him never let up as she spoke softly. "Your unwelcoming behavior isn't a first for me. Most people take one look and want nothing to do with me."

He turned away for a moment and thought, 'there's no question that you wouldn't be welcome after killing six men and infiltrating an army base.' This time though, he kept that one to himself.

He was politically correct of course but knew better than to voice it. Her words however, reminded him a little too well of his own situation.

"Well then, I believe we can understand one another."

Miles slipped off his glasses and turned to face Senna. They stared at each other for a moment.

Were her eyes always purple? Miles found himself somewhat taken aback by the odd colour. The tint from his glasses must have masked their true shade. As he regained his composure, he gauged her reaction. But the reaction he'd been expecting never came. No fear, no surprise filled her face. Just fascination.

She stared him square in the eyes, without so much as a blink. She moved closer until she was a foot away, staring up at him intently. She was close enough that he could've counted the strange grey specks in the irises of her eyes.

A small smile played on her lips as she finally said "I still don't see it."

Miles eyebrows furrowed, "Don't see what?"

"Why everyone makes such a big fuss about those red eyes. Don't get me wrong, they _are_ striking but they look perfectly fine to me."

Amazement spread across Miles' face. Senna took advantage of his stunned silence to make her case "Think whatever you like Major Miles, but I am as much a spy as your Major General is. And if I have to fight tooth and nail to prove it to you then so be it. But I refuse to divulge every little detail of my past." She moved beside him and continued walking. "I have met Ishvalan's before and it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful their eyes are. It's a shame you keep yours hidden."

Miles didn't move a muscle. She thought his eyes were _beautiful_? Not terrifying? Not pitiful?

Huh.

"Umm... aren't you supposed to be following me to make sure I don't get myself into trouble?" She called out to him where he stood rooted. He smiled while putting his glasses back on his face. He then turned to follow her, still smiling.


	5. Chapter 5 - Voice from Shadow

And chapter 5 is up! We'll be diving into more of Senna's background in the next couple of chapters. I'm trying to post every Sunday but it all depends on how busy I am on my days off. ;P

Happy reading!

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – Voice from Shadow**

Major Miles made sure that they arrived at the cafeteria early enough to avoid the supper rush. He was in no mood to converse with a crowd of people and he got the feeling that Senna was in the same mood.

She looked like she was at her limit. The shadows under her eyes were getting worse and she had gone quiet again. With Buccaneer as an opponent, Miles was certain that the injury he had given her must be quite painful now.

After their quiet meal, Miles dropped her off at the barracks and reminded her not to leave her room until he came by tomorrow. He had a lot of paperwork to get through before calling it a night and distractions would only slow the process.

Miles warned her that tomorrow she wouldn't get off so easy. He had quite a few questions and he expected her to be ready to answer them. They said very short goodbyes and he hurried off to his office. To Miles, she looked as eager to part ways as he did.

'She must be exhausted.' Miles thought suddenly. He had mentally complained about it being a terribly long and annoying day but compared to what Senna had had to deal with, it made his day look like a piece of cake.

She'd escaped her captors (so she says; he still wasn't convinced yet), ran through unknown terrain while being hunted, 'accidentally' killed six men, invaded the base (he still wasn't sure how she'd managed that one either), sustained an injury by the hands of Briggs' soldiers, ended up in a cell and had to deal with his sorry ass the rest of the afternoon.

'Yup, I'd be tired too.' Miles thought glumly.

* * *

Senna found herself alone, standing in the middle of the room she'd been assigned. She inspected the foreign space carefully. There was a small cot styled bed at the far side of the room and next to it was a fair-sized simple wooden dresser that went to her hip. A lamp had been placed on top of the dresser and was already lit when she came in. When she looked inside the drawers, she found a spare Briggs uniform, sleeping apparel and food packets.

The place was clean. There wasn't even a speck of dust on anything. She thought that the other door in the room was a closet but found a small bathroom instead.

"Well, I guess they didn't leave me any excuses for leaving the room." She mumbled to herself.

She twirled around slowly one last time before sitting down on the bed. There weren't any windows here either. She took a few deep breaths, feeling the need to keep calm.

The pain radiating from her shoulder and neck wasn't as intense now that she had a moment to rest. The bruises on her body now emitted only a dull throb thanks to the medication the nurse had given her. She wondered how long the medicine would last.

And her stomach was full for the second time today. She wasn't quite content in her enclosed surroundings but it was the best hospitality she's had since her time in the city of Riviere.

Even after escaping those cruel men, she still felt trapped here, a prisoner. She wanted to move on, to be outside. She missed filling her lungs with fresh air, the sound of wind whistling over the mountains and through the trees. But with her injuries, she would have a hard time surviving in this harsh northern environment. It also didn't help that those people, the 'Drachma's' as the Major General had called them, had taken away all of her winter gear.

The Drachma.

She closed her eyes, tightly interlaced her hands and placed them on her lap. She was finally alone and able to think back at the last few days without being under watchful eyes. Her body began to shake as the memories of what had happened flooded her mind. While she had this precious moment of peace, she let herself feel, process and ultimately breakdown.

After the city of Riviere, she'd been traveling north for a while, staying at the base of the mountains. She remembered finding a small trading post where she could stock up on provisions but as she was leaving, _they_ had ambushed her. Men dressed in thick dark coats with tan fur lining the collar and hats. Men speaking a language she couldn't understand and wearing winter goggles she couldn't see through.

They had her surrounded. Fear had bubbled up in her chest as she prepared for a fight. But before she could arm herself, she was struck from behind and collapsed in the snow. Whether they were beating her with their fists or their feet, Senna couldn't tell. All she knew is that she was in trouble.

She must have passed out after that because she couldn't remember being placed inside a small narrow box. When she awoke there, it was pitch black and the walls of the box had her trapped inside like a carnival contortionist. Realization and panic set in. She'd been bound, gagged and stripped down to the thin navy coloured base layer of clothing she'd worn underneath her winter gear.

She recalled it being cold but noticed that it should have been freezing. A heavy pelt had been stuffed inside the box with her, covering her body. Without that she probably would have frozen to death. But whether they were trying to be considerate or trying to hide her, it hadn't mattered to her.

The pain that had come from the blossoming bruises she'd received had nearly swept the air from her lungs. She concentrated hard on controlling her breathing, her chest and flanks moving with each breath, bringing on more and deeper pain.

She remembered the smell of campfire and pine becoming overwhelming as the wind changed. Other scents were on the air that night; cooking oil, fried game and gunpowder.

She kept quiet, not wanting to alert her captors that she was awake. She remembered hearing her frantic heartbeat that sounded too loud in her ears as she listened to conversations that passed the place where she laid. The language was foreign to her.

It didn't matter. It shouldn't matter.

She had to get out. The reason she was there and in danger wasn't important.

She was in trouble and needed to get out. Her brain screamed for escape as she tried to inconspicuously wiggle free of her bonds. Unfortunately, the tight space she had been in made that impossible. Her brain screamed out again.

And then the real screaming had started. But not hers. Chaos had erupted outside her box as men screamed and shouted incomprehensible things. Suddenly, the walls of her box had burst open, flying away from her body, her bonds cut off by unseen hands.

She sprang up and was greeted by the light of a campfire. A bitter cold wind wiped around her face as she found herself in the mouth of a shallow cave, the light of either dawn or twilight shining outside on the snow.

She remembered looking at the back of the cave, seeing the twisting shadows curling around several immobile bodies.

She hadn't bothered to get a closer look, she'd known what she would have found there. Her legs had bolted for the outside, knowing where she needed to run to. She was closer to the source of the screaming once outside the cave. The figures that had ran past her were only blurs now in her mind.

She had kept running, out into the cold, never looking back. She could remember the sounds of others following her.

It didn't matter. It didn't matter. _They_ didn't matter.

' _Just keep running'_.

Senna's eyes flew open. She was staring at the pristine bathroom of her bedroom in the barracks. Her whole body covered in sweat as goosebumps spread over her arms.

That voice.

Who was it?

Her heart thrummed inside her chest as she tried to place it. She walked over to the bathroom sink, stripped down to her underwear and soaked her shirt with lukewarm water. Using the latter as a facecloth, she wiped off the sweat. All the while, tears were running down her cheeks. She wiped those away too but they just kept coming.

She'd killed those men. They were dead and it was her fault. She'd lost control and because of that their lives had been taken away. She couldn't even remember any of their faces, which made her cry harder. They must have had families, friends, people that cared about them. And they were gone. Because of her.

Senna sat on the bathroom floor, letting herself be consumed by her feelings of remorse. She sat there for a long while, thinking of those faceless people and the almost familiar voice she'd heard coming from the shadows.


	6. Chapter 6 - Internal Battle

Allo there! So this week was a bit up and down for me. Honestly, I wasn't to sure that I was going to post at all today. I started a new job recently and the last couple of shifts that I've had have been kinda crappy. Things not going right, feeling like an idiot, being incredibly clumsy for no good reason, etc. But! Nothing like watching a few good Youtube videos to make you laugh :) If any of you are having 'one of those days', just do something that makes you smile! Even if it brightens your day just by a little, it's worth it.

Hope you enjoy this chapter and happy reading! ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – Internal Battle**

For Senna's first night at Fort Briggs, it had been a long one. When her tears ran dry, her throat was now tight from all the sobbing. She drank what felt like a liter of water from the tap and once she felt better, the exhaustion finally set in. She put on the pajamas from the drawer and laid in bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. But as tired as she was, she couldn't fall asleep right away. Her mind was a jumble of different thoughts floating around, keeping her from rest.

She decided to pick them off one by one till there were none left to bother her. She started with the least threatening first, not really feeling like crying anymore.

Major General Armstrong's face filled her mind. Senna knew from the interrogation that Armstrong lived up to her name. She was strong. Very strong. She proved as much when she fought her earlier that day.

And Senna guessed that she'd have to be in order to lead and keep in line the large number of soldiers stationed here. It wasn't hard to tell that her people trusted her and were without a doubt very loyal.

Even with her seemingly ruthless behavior, Senna saw a softness in the Major General. But with the way she spoke to her people… she wondered if they ever saw it too.

Soft side or not, Senna had to admit that she did wonder if Armstrong had been truly serious before. Would she have gone through with her threat from earlier? Would she have tortured her if she had continued to keep silent?

Senna wasn't sure and she wasn't keen on finding out. She'd been through enough already and wanted nothing more than to keep out of trouble for as long as she possibly could.

Another face popped into Senna's head. The big guy, Buccaneer.

'What a strange person.' She thought to herself.

When she had gotten her first glimpse at his mechanical arm (too late of course) before it tore through her shoulder, she'd been shocked. She'd heard about what was called 'automail' but had never once encountered anyone possessing one. She found herself wondering how someone could lug around a giant metal limb all day, let alone use it in a fight. She made a mental note to ask him that before promptly punching him in the face. She felt like pay back was in order.

She chuckled for a moment. He really was a strange one. He reminded her of a giant black bear. A semblance that any sane person could take one look at and be running the other way. But that black braided ponytail of his really off set his intimidating appearance, so much it was comical. She wondered if a rematch with the big brute would ever be possible.

'Yea, suggest that and you'll be eating stale bread in the cells.'

And then there was Major Miles.

Senna sighed, thinking of the first time she'd seen the Major. Her immediate impression of him was that he was uptight. His posture alone said as much. However, when he revealed that he thought of her as a threat… that impression of him turned from uptight to overly cautious.

She tried hard not to feel insulted. And she really could understand his reasoning. But all the same, she felt disheartened. She wasn't one to attack unless threatened, but _they_ didn't know that.

She sighed again. 'Being around other people is hard', she couldn't help thinking.

Senna never did have a lot of experience around other people, not up close anyway. And she rather preferred it that way. It was always messy, always complicated. And almost always ended badly. For her at least.

But the lack of experience did make things difficult when it came time to building trust with those she _did_ encounter. She wondered what they thought of her. What they saw when they looked at her.

A monster, probably.

Senna closed her eyes tightly and turned over on her side. She pushed thought after thought away but they kept rushing at her. Thoughts from her past flipped through her mind like pages in a book being blown over by the wind. Her home, rocks flying past her head, the mountains, her sensei, the Grey Crows, blood on her hands…

'No.' Her internal voice range out persistently. She had promised herself she would leave those thoughts behind.

Starting to feel the panic rising into her chest, she forced herself to think of anything. She thought of the Briggs' officers. Memorizing each of their faces, analyzing the layout of their base. She traveled through the corridors they'd taken her to, past door after door. What was she searching for?

She flipped through her memory and bolted upright when she realized what she had been looking for. The exit. A way out. But… she couldn't remember where it was. The panic rose again.

'No.' She thought stubbornly.

She wrapped her arms around herself and with all her might fought back against her training, resisting the urge to get up and run. This place was safe. She had to convince herself of that. It wasn't safe outside the way things were.

She breathed deeply, slowly unfolded her arms and laid back down. After a moment, she finally felt calm for the first time since the Major General had offered her tea. Even if this place felt like a giant cage, it was secure. She couldn't, she wouldn't run away and betray Armstrong's generosity. Not again.

Senna closed her eyes and with each breath she took, she thought of the clouds in the sky, the smell of moss and earth beneath her feet. A few breaths later, Senna finally fell asleep.

* * *

When Senna woke up next, she bolted up in bed, her heart racing. Her confused brain tried to recognize the room she was in. For a moment, she thought she was still being held by the Drachma. But how did she know they were called that?

She plopped back down on the pillow in relief. 'Fort Briggs. Right.' Her sleep addled brain felt foggy and disoriented. Her body felt even worse.

Her injuries now ached with a fiery vengeance. Her whole body felt stiff. She tried stretching out each muscle in bed to work out the kinks without worsening the pain. No good. At least the bathroom had a small shower stall in it.

Senna got up, grabbed some clothes and hopped into the shower. Showers were quite different compared to the rivers and lakes she usually washed up in. The hot water helped relieve some of the tension and soothed the pain, but she knew she couldn't avoid the healers today.

She wondered what time it was. 'Hard to tell in a room with no windows.' She thought somewhat bitterly. Senna knew if she was going to stay at Briggs, it was going to take some getting used to.

When she was finished getting dressed, she grabbed a quick snack from the bottom drawer. She was surprised that she enjoyed the assortment of dried fruit and meat.

While chewing absentmindedly on a piece of dried pear, she stared at the door. She knew it wasn't locked. It wouldn't do any harm to just take a little look around, right?

Major Miles appeared in her mind again. Senna tried imagining his reaction if he'd caught her out of her room. His dark features would probably be tight with stress, his eyes unreadable under those tinted glasses. He seemed the type of man that his anger would show without a single word spoken, his body and his silence speaking for him. Something Senna knew all too well about.

She huffed stubbornly. It had been a long time since she'd been forced to follow someone else's lead. But his orders were clear. And so were the consequences for breaking those orders.

She ignored her curiosity and sat patiently on the bed. How long would she have to wait? She had no idea if it was even morning yet. And with nothing to do…

It took three strides to reach the door. It opened with ease. As she stepped out of her room, she hoped the Major wouldn't catch her.

* * *

It was obvious that it must still be early morning because the halls were empty and quiet. She met no one on her way to the main desk of the barracks, the latter also being vacant. She stayed low to the ground while she moved towards it. She peaked over the counter, seeing a small clock next to a picture of a man with his family. The small hand of the clock was almost at III and the big hand on the XII.

"Almost three o'clock." She whispered. It was getting easier and easier for her to tell time. She remembered practicing often with the clock in the room of the inn at Riviere. She was thankful that the hotel manager had been so patient and kind that day, taking the time to teach her the basics. Clocks were not abundant in the wild.

Senna smiled as the memory came back to her. When she first arrived in the town of Riviere, she'd accumulated enough money to stay a night at their local inn. She was trying to decipher the grandfather clock in the front room as the hotel manager was preparing the inn for the day. Senna did not want to go to the market before it opened at 'eight o'clock', something a passerby had told her on the way there when she asked.

The older woman must have seen how embarrassed and flustered Senna had been. She came over and without hesitation, helped her tell time.

It didn't take long for Senna to catch on to the numeric system they used and with it she figured out she still had a few hours to wait before going to the market. The manager had been very hospitable then, teaching Senna a fair number of other things while she waited. Like how to clean a wooden floor or set a table, even how to bake bread.

She could even remember how good the bread tasted, and how the manager's face lit up when Senna told her it was the best thing she'd ever eaten.

One day, she would go back and stay another night there. And this time, she'd bring something from her travels to repay the manager for her kindness.

Senna's knees started to protest from the constant crouch she was in. Her shoulder also gave a quick sting, reminding her of what she was doing. Refocused on her task, she slid from wall to wall until she came to the exit of the barracks.


	7. Chapter 7 - Truth Be Told

Allo! I've FINALLY managed to upload the next chapter on the Doc Manager. SUCCESS WOOH! Lol Thanks to those of you who are reading this and hope you're enjoying the story so far. It's nice to get your mind off of reality for a bit.

Happy reading! ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Truth Be Told**

Major Miles straightened out his shirt, smoothing out any creases before buttoning up his military jacket. He subconsciously put on his glasses and made for the door, his report in hand. His routine was the same as always, apart from two aspects.

The first being that the pain in his chest was worse today than before. But thankfully the nurses had given him a small pack of pain medication. It was down to a dull pain by the time he left his room.

The second, being his newly appointed position of both 'babysitter' and 'interrogator'. Something he wasn't quite pleased about.

But as he walked, his curiosity grew. There were so many questions. And the Major General was counting on him to get the answers.

So, the first thing on his agenda today was to pick Senna up from the barracks. 'If she was even still there.' He thought sarcastically. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was the type to run off without warning, never to be found again.

It certainly kept him up for a few hours last night, worrying about whether trusting this girl would have consequences. She seemed sincere enough yesterday. But Miles needed more.

More information, more observations and more of the truth. He was glad when he got permission from the Major General to post two soldiers outside the only exit for the barracks during the night. Just in case.

When he made it to the barracks, he nodded a curt greeting to the desk clerk, Terry, before heading down the corridor for the Private officer lodgings.

He knocked on the door with the brass number '24' on the front and waited.

And waited. The silence from inside the room made his eyebrow twitch. Had he been right? Did she manage to get past the guards last night and take off?

Now annoyed and a little worried that she was loose somewhere in the base, he was anxious to check to see if she was truly gone. There was no telling what this troublesome girl had planned. If she had indeed disobeyed his terms, he sure hoped she was prepared. Because when he found her, he'd be more than true to his word.

He went to grab the handle of the door when suddenly, it swung open. He froze in place.

Major Miles was speechless as Senna peered at him from inside the room. But he was certain that he hadn't heard any movement a moment ago. And he felt so sure that she'd left.

He'd been wrong. Interesting.

Clearing his throat to hide his surprise, Miles said his only greeting.

"Time for answers. I hope you're ready."

She simply nodded, a look of resignation on her face. She followed him out and when they reached the exit, they got more than a few stares from the soldiers heading to their posts.

A sly looking soldier came forward and called out to them.

"You takin' on a _probie_ , Major Miles?! Or is this take your sister to work day?" He said teasingly, his heavy southern accent silenced the murmur of chatter around them.

Miles turned to face the soldier, Senna a few steps to his side.

"She is neither a soldier, nor my sister. Any other questions, officer…?" Miles inquired.

"Warrant Officer Andie Ritcher, sir. I was a transfer from South City a few weeks ago." He said proudly. He was a tall, well-manicured man with short blond hair that had a posture that radiated with ego. A kind of look that only came from stuffy high society upbringing.

His hazel eyes slide from Miles to Senna, giving her a once over. Lips curled into a charming smile, Ritcher gave her a wink.

"Aren't you a lil' cutie! What are ya hangin' around this old man for?"

Major Miles tried hard not to scowl at the young officer. But before he could remind the soldier of his place, something caught his eye. In his peripheral vision, Miles saw Senna take a small step to the side, hiding slightly behind him. She didn't like this man just as much as he did. And he wasn't the only one to notice.

"Oh, c'mon now! Don't hide-" Ritcher purred, trying to peer around Miles to get a better look. Senna took another step to the side.

"Warrant Officer Ritcher." Major Miles said, his arms behind his back. His tone made a few of the other soldiers pause and look they're way. Everyone waited with baited breath.

"I'm sure there's work you should be doing. Report for duty at once." He ordered firmly, never breaking eye contact with the young officer.

Ritcher simply smiled and said a smug "Yes sir," before turning away and walking down the hallway. Everyone else stood very still.

"Shouldn't the rest of you be getting to work?" Miles said curtly to the small crowd of onlookers. Without hesitation, they dispersed quickly. Behind the desk, Terry nodded a respectful salute to Major Miles before returning to his work.

When the hallway was empty, Miles glanced back at Senna. If she wasn't uneasy before, she certainly was now. She was still as a statue, her shoulders tense and her jaw clenched. Her eyes still focused on the spot were Ritcher had stood.

So, he wasn't the only one who got a bad feeling from their new southern ally. At that moment, Miles wondered what was going through her mind. By her stance, she looked like she was ready to either fight or flee. Perhaps she was thinking about the Drachma from before.

And from the report the Major General gave him, fear could very well lead to disaster. They couldn't have that.

He stepped smoothly in front of her gaze, instantly breaking her concentration. Startled, she stared up at him with an almost panicked look. And for the first time since meeting her, Miles saw a shadow of vulnerability behind her eyes.

"Alright?" He asked after giving her a few seconds to calm down. She breathed deeply and nodded her head again.

"Thank you. For that." She said, giving him a small smile.

In that moment, he felt a small spark of trust between them. How could he not?

She had agreed to his terms and so far, had followed all of them. She had bravely stood up against his accusations and stated outright that she would prove that she wasn't a threat to them. And without thinking, he had stood between Senna and an officer of Briggs, protecting her.

As they walked to the interrogation room, they were both quiet. The same as before yet somehow, the silence between them felt restful. Like two strangers, finally starting to understand one another.

* * *

Major Miles sat across from Senna, his hands interlaced on the table. The walls of the interrogation room were a dark coloured wood and the floor a solid stone. A chill ran up Senna's spine. She was starting to regret not asking the nurses for one of those heavy military coats when she had the chance.

"Now, let's start from the beginning." Miles said.

"The beginning?"

"Yes. Which city where you born in? Where did you grow up? Things like that."

Her heart sank into her stomach. She'd had a tough enough time calming down last night from just _thinking_ about her past. Would she be able to talk about it and keep her composure in front of an audience?

An excess of saliva accumulated in her mouth, making her swallow nervously. Maybe she should ask for a glass of water…

"That's quite a long story." She said shifting in her seat.

"Then we better get started."

He wasn't going to back down. She could tell by the look on his face.

"We'll have to do something first." She said with closed eyes.

"And that would be?"

"Inviting Major General Armstrong to our little tea party." She said jokingly, but her voice shook in the middle, giving her away. Major Miles raised an eyebrow. She quickly added halfheartedly, "If I'm going to have to talk about my past… then I'd rather not have to tell it twice."

He seemed to debate her suggestion for a moment, probably wondering if it was worth it or not. With her arms wrapped around her body, she watched as Major Miles suddenly rose from his seat and left the room. She heard him speaking to another officer just outside the door. He was requesting the Major General's presence.

* * *

Olivia Armstrong had just finished checking the upper levels of the base when she was effectively requested in the interrogation rooms by her Major.

"Is there a problem?" She asked skeptically. She knew that Miles was entirely capable of questioning the girl himself. So why the request?

"It appears that the girl would like for you to be present. Major Miles thought it to be important." The officer stated promptly.

Olivia stood there. She looked back at Buccaneer, who had accompanied her today as well and asked, "Sound like fun, Captain?"

He gave her a wry smile and told another officer to continue with the base checks. They had an interrogation to go to.

On the way, Olivia saw a good opportunity. She saw a man trimming overhanging icicles from the staircase. A man that, conveniently enough, had recently been transferred from Central.

"Second Lieutenant Falman!" She shouted over the loud noise coming from one of the construction rigs. The man turned around, clearly startled but recovered quickly upon seeing his new commanding officer. He saluted her, waiting for her orders.

She came closer.

"You were an intelligence expert in Central, were you not?" She said more quietly.

"Yes sir!"

"Well then, you'll be taking a small break from your regular duties today." She said with a cunning smile.

Vato Falman blinked at her, his salute and expression faltering. What could she have planned for him?


	8. Chapter 8 - Strange Tales

Allo! The truth is now coming to light! More to come in the next chapter.

Happy reading! ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – Strange Tales, Even Stranger Answers**

The time it took for Armstrong to arrive gave Senna the opportunity to brace herself for the inevitable: reliving her past.

She'd spent a very long time trying to suppress those memories. Now that she had to face them while having an audience, made her wish she _had_ thought about it last night. She could have let the memories bombard her and maybe then she could have rid herself of the distress in her mind, the fear in her voice…

'And maybe not.' She thought to herself. She doubted if there'd ever be a time that she could talk about those days without feeling _something_.

Or, maybe having people around would make it easier? Perhaps she'd be able to keep a straight face, feign true emotion while under watchful eyes.

She exhaled and rubbed the inside of her palm. She needed to concentrate on maintaining composure.

'Keep calm. Stay focused.' She encouraged herself. If Armstrong and her people wanted the truth then they would get it, no matter how hard it was for her. It would be a test of will. The will to keep her promises.

Suddenly, Major Miles' accusations from yesterday rang loud in her ears. That disbelieving, untrusting look on his face played back in her mind.

Her face heated up from the sudden swell of defiance that rose from her heart. She _had_ made that promise. She sat up straight and stared determinedly at the door. She would follow through. She'd prove to all of them that she wasn't a threat.

Because deep down, past the instinct to run and hide, she was tired of being the enemy.

* * *

Senna watched as Armstrong strolled into the interrogation room while two other officers filed in behind her. To no surprise, the first one was The Bear, who had to duck in order to enter through the doorway. For a silly moment, she wondered why they didn't simply make the entrances larger to accommodate the more giant-sized officers.

And then another man with silvery salt and pepper hair walked in next. He had pale skin like the Major General but with far more age lines. His narrowed eyes made him look like he was constantly squinting. Overall, he looked like a very serious person and someone she didn't recognize.

Senna swallowed nervously. After being injured, threatened and accused of several different offences by officers of Briggs', she couldn't help but wonder what else this crazy place had to dish out.

Armstrong sat across from her while Major Miles and the older man took their places on either side. The Bear leaned up contently against the back wall next to the exit. She met Armstrong's piercing gaze and waited for her to start the party.

"You're looking much better." Armstrong said with a satisfied smile.

"All thanks to you and your people." She said politely, giving them a small bow.

"Major Miles deemed it important to accept your request to have me here." Armstrong said casually but the tone she used made it feel like a question.

Senna didn't hesitate to explain. "It isn't… _easy_ for me to talk about things from the past. You yourself had many questions to ask me the other day so I figured we'd hit two birds with one stone. This way, you'll hear my story first hand rather than from a third party." Senna said respectfully. She was trying very hard to keep her voice steady and her body relaxed, but the feeling of anticipation in the room was making her hands shake in her lap.

"It isn't easy for a lot of people." Armstrong said matter-of-factly. Senna nodded at this. It was time to come clean. No running away.

"This is Second Lieutenant Vato Falman. He's an intelligence expert and rather good with maps and locations, so please tell him everything you know about the place where you come from." She gestured briefly to her left at the older man.

Senna had just noticed that he was carrying several rolled-up parchments underneath his arm and was setting up a notepad and pen.

So, they suspected that she wasn't a citizen of their country. Senna couldn't blame them. She didn't exactly look like one of the locals.

The Second Lieutenant gave her a quick smile before unrolling his maps onto the table. She could feel the intent stare of the others on her face as she watched him work.

Strange. The way he calmly and carefully set up his things made Senna feel instantly at ease. She patiently waited for him to finish, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

There was something about him that reminded her of the manager from Riviere. Someone she might be more comfortable talking to.

Suddenly, she was very grateful that Armstrong had requested that the Second Lieutenant tag along. Was it on purpose? Could the Major General really see through her that easily?

Senna bowed her head, and breathed deeply. When she looked up again she was ready to meet the intense gaze of her audience.

* * *

Second Lieutenant Falman started off the interrogation with a seemingly simple question that had no easy answer.

"What city or town where you born and raised in?" He said in a professional tone, his pen poised over the notepad.

Senna thought hard about this one but knew that this entire conversation would be complicated no matter what answer she gave him.

"There was no name for it." She said truthfully.

The Second Lieutenant gave her a puzzled expression but it was the Major that took the lead.

"You're saying that you don't know where you come from?" Major Miles said, raising a skeptical eyebrow in the air.

"No. It's just…" Senna exhaled and tried again. "When I was young, I was found wandering a forest near a small village. The ones who took me in and raised me had said that I couldn't have been more than 3 cycles old at the time. That became my first home."

"When you say cycles, you mean years?" Falman asked curiously.

"Yes. We were taught that the length of the four seasons made up one cycle, the equivalent to your one year."

"You had said you were from the West. If you know that, then how is there no name for your village?" Major Miles pressed on, unconvinced.

"I… can't be sure. I _think_ it was from the West but they never taught us about things like the cardinal points on a map, much less what a map even was. I learnt those things when I came to the town of Prisca…" Senna sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead. This was going to take a while.

"Enough interruptions." Armstrong said firmly. The others stayed quiet as she continued, "Let her finish her story and then ask your questions. Go on." The Major General looked her straight in the eyes, giving Senna her full attention. Again, she felt grateful for Armstrong's intervention.

"Start from the beginning. Tell us more about this village. Somewhere in Amestris?" She said while crossing her arms.

"After visiting so many places in this country, I'm fairly certain now that it isn't a place you'd be familiar with." Senna said easily.

"What makes you think that?" Armstrong couldn't help asking.

"They were much more…" She paused trying to find the right word. "- simplistic than the people of this country. We were taught how to hunt for food, how to use the land to our advantage to survive. There was nothing about _this_ country and _that_ country. We were just… _us_. You use a compass and map to find your way," She gestured to Falman, "but we used landmarks and followed the stars. I'm sure if I backtracked I could find the place I came from, but that would take quite a while."

Determined to follow their leader's orders, no one said a word. Senna took the silence as her cue to continue.

"I had spent many seasons at the village. I did my part to learn and to support my group but never felt completely at ease with them. My appearance was slightly different from theirs so I often hunted on my own. The others never objected."

"One day I… I was making my way down a familiar hunting path. One I'd been on hundreds of times before when… something strange happened." She hesitated, not knowing how they would react to what she was about to tell them.

The look Armstrong gave her was both encouraging and intimidating. She obviously didn't like people beating around the bush.

"I heard a whisper on the wind." Senna said quietly, hearing how odd it sounded. "I followed it and came to a large tree. I stood underneath it's shadow. It gave me good cover against possible threats. The voice was clear as day, yet I saw no one. A voice… without a body."

Senna looked down again, not able to meet their eyes. She knew it sounded crazy. She'd learnt that easily enough after that horrible day of fear and alienation. Since then, she'd never mentioned it to anyone.

"And what was 'it' saying?" Armstrong asked cautiously. Senna took a quick glance at her. Whatever expression may have shown on her face, was gone now. Armstrong seemed at ease but the set of her jaw said otherwise. Senna knew that it was too late to take it back, to lie. She would have to tell them everything. She raised her head and mustered up as much courage as she could, refusing to stop now.

"I've come to understand that it wasn't so much spoken words I was hearing but more like vibrations. I could feel waves of them around me. They felt gentle and warm as if it was humming 'hello'."

"Because there was no other human around, I assumed that the vibrations were coming from the large tree I was crutched under. It was a strange occurrence but not a bad one. I began visiting it often. After some time, I could speak to it and understand it's replies. It was the first time that I felt at home. It became my friend." She said with a soft smile. But the smile vanished quickly when the next memory resurfaced.

"I ended up _hunting_ for longer periods of time and bringing back less game. Naturally, the others grew curious as to where I would go. One day, a few of them followed me. It…didn't go very well." Her voice broke at the end. She grew silent, thinking of the shock, fear and anger that had shown on their faces that day.

She could still remember feeling one of their blades being pressed up against her chest and a pair of hands wrapped tightly around her neck. Feeling the air leak from her lungs with each gasp…

Her haunted thoughts must have shown on her face because Armstrong was quick to snap her out of it.

"Senna." The Major General said forcefully, pulling her from her trance. She let out the air she'd been subconsciously holding back. Her head felt light and hazy.

"What exactly happened?" Armstrong asked, though Senna had the feeling that she already knew what she was about to tell them.

"They attacked me. I had no time to explain, to get them to understand. I couldn't… breath." She wrapped her arms around herself and starred at the table.

"I passed out and the next thing I knew, I woke up and they were all on the ground, dead. Except one." She took a shaky breath.

"The voice was gone and I was alone. I was too far from the village to call for help so I dragged him back. He woke up soon after. I'm not sure what he told them but, let's just say I was not welcome there anymore."

"They kicked you out?" Buccaneer chimed in.

"More like, threw rocks at me until I was out of their line of sight." She smiled bitterly. "I was maybe seven at the time."

She couldn't help but watch the change of reactions from her audience. Armstrong seemed conflicted between being concerned and unfazed. The Bear was stuck grimacing, all the while Falman had nothing but a shocked look on his face, his pen hovering uselessly in the air.

Major Miles of course looked calm as ever, a part from his eyebrows being furrowed in concentration. She wondered if they believed her. It did seem far-fetched. Unfortunately, it wasn't the end of the story.

She really wished it was.


	9. Chapter 9 - Truly Unexpected

Allo there! I know I haven't posted in a while but I've been very busy lately (considering that I got a new job, packed all my things and moved to Ottawa in the span of a few days). It's been quite the adventure with A LOT of changes! But now that I'll be working steady hours, I might not have the time to post once a week. I'll try my best but this is something I want to enjoy and not feel stressed out about. So, here is the 9th chapter, hope you all like it!

Happy reading! ^.^

-K

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Truly Unexpected**

Everyone in the interrogation room remained silent. Senna started fidgeting in her seat while she waited for them to say something, anything.

Finally, Armstrong readjusted her jacket and with her legs crossed, she ticked off each key point of Senna's story on her fingers.

"Alright. To sum up; you were found and raised by these individuals, discovered a tree that could talk, you were attacked by your people when they found out about it, which in turn led to their demise and then you were cast out of your home because of it?"

Senna nodded but a sense of worry crept in. Did she believe her story? Or was the Major General just humoring her? Buccaneer moved forward and rested his hand on Falman's chair.

"What happened after that? Where did you go?" He said with a thoughtful look on his face. Falman snapped out of a daze, picked up his notepad and jotted down a few things. Their sudden interest was a relief to Senna, at least they were taking her seriously.

"I had no choice but to head to the mountain next to the village. No one had ever been there before or even knew what was on the other side. Once I reached it, I climbed over the top and left that home behind."

"What did the terrain look like?" Falman suddenly asked. Taken aback by the question, Senna took a moment before replying. He wanted to know about the land?

She remembered her own forest well enough from all the time she'd spent there. But when she thought about the passage up the mountain, her memory seemed hazy. She supposed that there had been subtle differences. The rocks and dirt more rough, the grass dry and brittle. She did her best with what she could remember.

"The air was warm, the trees full with leaves and fruit, plenty of wildlife… When I got to the top of the mountain, it was colder there. The rocks and grass were rougher and there were small patches of snow on the ground."

Falman nodded his head while continuing to write. "How long did it take you to scale the mountain?"

She thought back for a moment, counting the days it had taken her to reach the top and then back down the other side.

"Five days to the top and four days to the bottom." She said confidently. This was easier; talking about the places she'd been rather than the people she'd met.

Everyone watched curiously as Falman started drawing lines at different angles and glancing occasionally at his map. His sketches were very close to a small area on the map that he'd circled in red earlier. When she leaned in to get a better look, she saw that the town of Prisca was at the center of the circle.

"Did you have to climb straight up or from the sides?"

"A bit of both I suppose." She said uncertainly. Something like that wasn't an easy thing to keep track of. Senna always traveled with the land and not against it, relying mostly on instinct. If she were to retrace her steps back to _that_ place, she'd most likely take a different path every time.

"At the top, what did you see in the distance on either side of the mountain?"

"Where I came from, there was more plant life and it was greener. When I looked to the other side I saw similar things but more open areas with yellow grass and dirt."

"No structures?"

She shook her head.

"What about the voice?" Armstrong interjected. Senna leveled her gaze with the Major General's but she saw past her, reliving that moment in her mind. Seeing the broad horizon, feeling the breeze on her face, meeting her friend again...

"I thought he was gone. But when I got to the top, it was such a strange feeling. Like being both lighter and heavier at the same time. The sun was so beautiful from up there. Then, when I was looking around for a place to sleep, something caught my eye. When I happened to look down at my shadow, it well… waved at me."

"Waved? As in, on its own?" Armstrong asked, not quite as surprised as before.

Senna started to chuckle. "Yes. Gave me quite the scare. When I calmed down and looked again, my shadow was doing all sorts of things without my own body moving. I can't remember ever laughing so much in my life. That's when I heard the voice again. Somehow my friend had left the tree and was now following me. I'm honestly not sure how it all happened but at least I wasn't alone anymore." She smiled then, remembering how thankful she had felt. To finally feel at home, even in such an unusual place.

"My friend kept me company for quite a while. It was then that I learnt how to draw power from the shadows, something that very well saved my life while I was on my own."

"I'm sorry, what?" Armstrong asked, she wasn't the only one confused. The others were staring at her like she'd suddenly sprouted wings on either side of her head. Senna looked at each one of them before finally deciding that _showing_ them would be easier.

"Please stay very still." She warned them. She hovered one outstretched hand over the table, casting a small shadow on its smooth surface. As she did so, she saw Armstrong subtly placing a hand on the hilt of her sword, ready for anything.

Senna remained calm and with her other hand, she pinched at the shadow as if trying to pick up a black cloth on the table. Instead of picking up air, she started pulling a small, thin black object out of it. The others held very still as they watched, perplexed as Senna materialized and placed an identical black pen next to the one Falman was holding.

"How?" Buccaneer asked immediately, picking up the pen to examine it.

"It's like alchemy without a circle." Falman said simply. Everyone at the table turned to him in surprise. All eyes were on him as they waited for an explanation. Falman didn't seem uncomfortable by the sudden attention as he cleared his throat and continued. "I've seen something like that before from a state alchemist. He's able to create objects without a drawn transmutation circle, just needed to clap his hands together and voila!"

With the word alchemy, Senna sat up straight and stared at Falman intently, as if he was holding all the answers to her questions. It wasn't the first time she'd heard about the magic of alchemists and she'd always wanted to know more about them. What did alchemy look like? How was it done? Was she an alchemist too? She wanted so badly to ask him. But before Senna could even open her mouth, she was interrupted by Major Miles.

"Interesting." He said casually, seeming to relax a little in his seat. It was the first time he'd spoken in quite a while, Senna was starting to wonder if he'd fallen asleep.

As the others discussed the recent information, Senna tried not to feel disappointed. She wanted to hear more about this alchemist Falman had mentioned. She made a mental note to catch up with him after the interrogation if she could. It was an opportunity she didn't want to miss.

Armstrong spoke again, pulling her away from her planning. "Senna. Is this 'friend of yours' responsible for teaching you this skill?"

"I really don't know. I just found out that one day I could do it. I needed a knife to skin a hare and happened to pull one out from a shadow. But I was only able to do this after the incident."

"Do you and this thing still 'talk'?" Buccaneer asked not bothering to hid the aversion in his voice.

"Not exactly." When was the last time she'd heard from her friend? She couldn't seem to remember. Had it really been that long ago?

Suddenly, Senna thought back to a few days ago. The smell of a cave, limbless bodies by the fire, the feeling of being chased, a familiar voice…

Senna immediately shut her eyes. 'No. Don't go there.' She thought to herself. She had to finish this quickly. The longer this interrogation took, the higher the risk of her breaking down again.

'But why? Why should I be worried about this?' She thought stubbornly. She'd been talking about her past for quite some time now and was doing fine. It wasn't like she hadn't seen her fair share of terrible things but why let herself be incapacitated by them? When she opened her eyes again, she felt stronger. She thought back to her days in the forest and spoke with even more determination.

"After a while of being on my own, I became more sure of myself. I used my skills to stay alive and spent quite a few cycles this way. Then, I happened to come across a farm in the middle of some large fields. It was the first time since leaving home that I had met another person. I kept my distance and watched. They were different from my people. I saw how they talked, worked, ate. It was nice. They were nice." The image of a small boy smiling ear-to-ear up at his mother crossed her mind.

"I didn't approach them. I was afraid to. But when I saw what looked like a large trail that lead somewhere next to their home, I couldn't help but follow it. It was difficult while staying with the trees but I managed to keep track of where it was heading. At the end of it was a place that had many buildings and a large wheel that turned the water in a lake. There were even _more_ people there."

"I stayed hidden for a while, but somehow a child playing in the field spotted me. I ran deeper into the woods, he followed. I even went as far as climbing a tree to get away from him. But, after some convincing, I eventually came down. He was very kind. We ended up talking for a long time."

"That's when I learnt about roads and watermills! It was the first day that I heard the word Amestris and learnt about the country and its people. The boy visited me almost every day in the field after that to teach me new things about his home. I grew comfortable around him, but I never once entered their village. When he asked me why, I didn't tell him the truth. He seemed younger then me and I didn't want to scare him."

"It was Prisca, wasn't it? The town you had mentioned before." Falman clarified.

"Yes, and the boy's name was Daren. Unfortunately, the more he visited me, the fainter my other friend's voice became." She said, now answering Buccaneer's earlier question.

"I noticed it one day, when I spoke to Daren, my friend's voice was gone. And then when I was alone and called out to him, I'd hear him but he got quieter and quieter each day. That scared me more than anything. He was a part of me and had been for so long that losing him felt impossible. It was why I ran from Prisca and traveled farther into the woods. But, even that didn't help."

"Eventually, I couldn't hear his voice all together. I even got lost trying to look for him and ended up losing my way back to Prisca. It was then that I did something very, very idiotic."

"What did you do?" Armstrong asked expectantly. Senna chuckled sheepishly and shrugged as she answered,

"Got into a fight with a bear."


End file.
